Brit who refused to surrender prepare seat for OAP praised for sticking to her weapons

A woman has sparked a debate online after she refused to give up her first class seat for an elderly passenger on a packed train journey from London to Aberdeen

A Scottish woman is being praised for standing her ground on a train. She refused to give up her seat for an older passenger on a journey across the UK, sparking online debates about the etiquette of travel.

While we’re often told it’s polite to offer our seats to the elderly, to those with disabilities, or expectant mothers, this particular passenger firmly held onto her pre-booked priority seat, according to Edinburgh Live. She was travelling from London to Aberdeen on an unnamed train service and had forked out extra for a first-class ticket, ensuring a reserved spot to work in peace.

Upon boarding, she discovered her seat was also marked as a priority one but held firm when a lady, believed to be in her 60s, requested the spot.

The passenger shared her tale on Reddit, stating: “I recently got a train across the UK from London to Aberdeen. It’s a seven-hour journey so I booked myself a first-class seat well in advance”.

She added: “First-class seats on trains in the UK can be expensive, but I decided to treat myself because 1), I knew I’d have work to do on the train, so I wanted to make sure I had space/comfort to be able to work, and 2), certain trains in the ‘individual seats’ which means you’re not sitting next to or sitting opposite anyone. I specifically booked one of those seats to enable me to work.”

Reliving the initial moments, she remarked: “I got on the train in London and sat in my seat. The seat they’d assigned me was also the ‘priority seat’. Priority seats are the ones at the end of carriages for people with mobility issues due to age or disability.”

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But the calm journey soon hit turbulence when a woman in her sixties challenged her right to the seat, insisting on her seniority: “A woman got on after me who was around 60 years old and pointed at the sign above my head and, quite rudely, told me to move because she was elderly.”

Despite the confrontation, the first-class ticket holder held firm: “I told her I’d booked the seat and she’d need to speak to a member of staff to find her one. She pointed out that the train was full and there were no other seats. I apologised but reiterated that I’d booked the seat and wasn’t going to move.”

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The passenger explained: “Eventually, a train guard came over to try to help. The lady had booked a return ticket, but she hadn’t reserved a specific seat.”

She also offered a tip for infrequent rail travellers: “For those who don’t know how trains work, if you have a ticket but haven’t also booked a seat reservation, it means you can travel on a train, but you aren’t guaranteed a seat unless there’s one available.”

“[The guard] asked if either of us would consider moving to standard class if he could find us a seat. I again refused, explaining I’d booked the seat well in advance and that I needed it. Eventually, he took the woman to standard class and I assume found her a seat there.”